Daniel Ricciardo has dismissed the idea that Formula 1 drivers look down on the IndyCar Series. The comments come ahead of his visit to the Indianapolis 500. American racing driver Conor Daly had previously stated that IndyCar deserves “more respect from over there”.
Ricciardo’s Rebuttal
Ricciardo refuted the suggestion that F1 drivers disrespect their IndyCar counterparts. “Yeah, there’s definitely respect for it,” he said. He added that there was never a discussion like, “we’re the best, F1’s this, we’re up here”.
Ricciardo stated that F1 was where he wanted to be as a kid, idolising Ayrton Senna. However, he clarified that it was never a case of F1 being superior to other racing series. “I think when you get to a level, you know what’s involved in racing,” he explained.
He went on to say that the hierarchy created by fanbases online does not reflect the reality within the paddock. “There’s definitely not a ‘we’re cooler than you guys’ – there’s none of that. And at least I never experienced that. I think we all just ultimately love racing, and you guys do a very different discipline – especially obviously the oval stuff compared to the circuit racing, what we do with a ton of downforce and all that. But it’s different.”
Respect for Different Disciplines
Ricciardo acknowledged the differences between F1 and IndyCar, particularly oval racing. Back in 2022, he admitted that oval racing scares him. “F*** that,” he said. “Ovals scare me.”
Ricciardo also addressed the assumption that F1 drivers only care about F1. He noted that some people are surprised when he expresses interest in other forms of motorsport. “Some people are surprised when they’re like, ‘Dude, you like that?’ Like if I said I grew up watching NASCAR, they’d be like, ‘Wait, NASCAR? You’re an F1 guy.’”
Enthusiasm for the Indy 500
After retiring from racing and becoming a Ford Racing ambassador, Ricciardo will attend this year’s Indianapolis 500 as a fan. He expressed his excitement about experiencing the race. “What you’ve told me about Indy and the 500 – I’ve probably never been more excited since I was a kid to go to a race and just be a fan of a race, you know? And I think to experience it, and the way you speak about it – you’ve done the European thing, you’ve travelled the world racing. I think it’s going to really hit me hard.”
He recounted his first visit to Daytona at the end of last year, noting the impact of seeing the banking in person. “Man, some things you just have to see. You just have to physically see it,” he said. He added: “And I think that’s how I feel with the 500.
“I have an idea of what it will be like. I’ve been around racing my whole life, but there will still be things that are just gonna blow me away and I think that’s cool.”